Ybor City celebrates 200th anniversary of the birth of its founder

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Ybor City is rich in history, and is celebrating 200 years of its founder.

Friday, September 7, marks the anniversary of the birth of Vicente Martinez-Ybor. He is the businessman and cigar manufacturer credited with founding Ybor City in 1886.

He arrived to Tampa in 1885 at the age of 67. By 1900, Ybor City became the "cigar capital of the world." Its factories were operated mostly by Cuban cigar makers. However, by the early 1950s the factories were gone. Martinez-Ybor passed away in 1896.

Ybor City was revitalized in the 1990s, and draws a large crowd to its shops, restaurants, clubs and galleries.

The Ybor City Museum Society along with the Ybor City Museum State Park are hosting a birthday celebration to honor Martinez-Ybor on his birthday. It will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ybor City Museum State Park at 1818 East 9th Avenue.

They’ll have music, food, cigar rolling and special guests talking about the founding and legacy of Ybor. The speakers will include Rafael Martinez-Ybor, the great-grandson of Ybor’s founder.